Three football fans arrested after Boro’s clash with Sunderland have appeared at court.

Two Sunderland supporters and a Boro fan appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court charged with offences ranging from possessing drugs to using threatening behaviour.

The youngest of the trio, 18-year-old Reece Lee Roberts, of Spring Close, Thornaby, was handed a four year football banning order after being ejected from the Tees-Wear derby game, on April 26 which Boro won 1-0.

Lynne Dalton, prosecuting, said Roberts had been “complaining that security had been heavy handed with him” and was being “aggressive” at the match.

Roberts was then ejected from the game and police found him with a bottle of vodka and a small amount of cannabis.

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He pleaded guilty to possessing alcohol while entering a sporting event and possession of a class B drug.

As well as the ban, the teen was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £115 costs.

Sunderland supporter John Wear, 33, was caught throwing a flare at the game and was labelled a “plonker” and an “idiot” by his defence solicitor, Robin Ford.

John Wear of Easington Lane was charged with possession of a Firework/Flare at a Sporting Event

The court heard that Wear was caught on CCTV throwing the flare into the crowd which caused huge plumes of smoke.

After being identified by the officer in charge of the CCTV he told the arresting officer a friend had handed him the lit flare and threw it in order to get rid of it.

Wear avoided a banning order after Mr Ford said that he was not a football hooligan and was a “hard working family man” who had no previous offences relating to football.

He urged the bench to fine him rather than ban him and said: “Everytime he has to pay off his fine once a month he will be reminded of what a plonker he was.”

Wear, of Thirlmere Avenue, Easington Lane, County Durham, pleaded guilty to possessing a flare at a sporting event and was fined £350 and ordered to pay £115 costs by chairman of the bench, Ken Appleby.

Lewis David Dodsworth, 22, also a Sunderland fan, appeared at the court charged with threatening behaviour after the game which he denies.

It is alleged Dodsworth, of Bowburn Avenue, Sunderland, had been part of a group of around 15 to 20 Sunderland fans, some of which were known “risk offenders” that were making their way to a pub in Middlesbrough.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and will appear back at the court on July 20 for a trial.